Kalamazoo This Week: 9/11 commemorative service in Bronson Park; Family Day of Service

Good morning. It's Monday and you're reading Kalamazoo This Week, your guide to news and events happening the week of Sept. 9 to Sept. 15.

A piece of history: A World Trade Center artifact will be displayed in Portage, Kalamazoo and other Southwest Michigan communities this week as it makes its way to a permanent home in Benton Harbor. The artifact, recovered after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York City, will be on display in Portage Monday at a blood drive from noon to 5:45 p.m. at the First Reformed Church of God and in Kalamazoo Tuesday, Sept. 10 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at PNC Bank.

The artifact also will stop in Buchanan from 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Wednesday at the American Electric Power blood drive, 500 Circle Drive. It will be in Allegan from noon to 5:45 p.m. Thursday at the Griswold Auditorium blood drive, 401 Hubbard St. It will be in St. Joseph from 1 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Friday at the American Red Cross blood drive, 3838 Niles Ave.

Remembering 9/11: A 9/11 commemorative service will be held in Bronson Park Wednesday. Western Michigan University President John Dunn will speak at the 6 p.m. event. Also speaking will be Logan Stark of Lansing, a former United States Marine and the producer of "For My 25," a video honoring Marines in his unit who died during a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Day of Service: Volunteer Kalamazoo's Family Day of Service will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Radisson Plaza Hotel & Suites in downtown Kalamazoo. The event is expected to bring more than 15 service projects to the Radisson for families to complete. More information can be found about Days of Service at www.volunteerkalamazoo.org or by calling Volunteer Kalamazoo at 269-382-8350.

Open house: Palisades Nuclear Power Plant will host a public open house Wednesday. The open house will be from 5 to 7 p.m. at Palisades' Joint Information Center at 330 West Main Street in Benton Harbor. Palisades representatives will be available to answer questions from the public and guided tours of the information center will be available.

Bronco Bash: Western Michigan University's Bronco Bash is Friday, and this year it will be held at the new Sangren Hall pedestrian mall. More than 450 student organizations and Kalamazoo-area businesses are expected to participate. Bronco Bash will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday.

Talk Like a Pirate event: Barnes & Noble Bookseller in Portage will hold a kids' celebration of Talk Like a Pirate Day starting at 11 a.m. Saturday. The event will include storytime and a treasure hunt. Children are encouraged to dress up as pirates.

Harvest Fest: The 11th annual Southwest Michigan Harvest Fest will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., hosted by Tillers International in Scotts. Harvest Fest includes demonstrations about tower gardens, an introduction to Tillers International, arts and crafts, hay rides and old time farming skills.

This year, the inaugural Food Equity System Transformation Session will happen from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Douglass Community Association, 1000 W. Paterson St. The event will allow attendees to share ideas about the local food system and hopes for the future and the ability to have a community strategic planning session about the food system.